OUR VIEW: Smyrna would be right choice for CAF

For a lot of people it is one way to get quickly from one point to another. For some others, it provides a means of employment.

And for others, it is a transcendental longing, avocation or vocation.

Exploits of those who venture into the air capture the hearts and minds of those who are land-bound as do the machines that propel them into the clouds.

Smyrna deserves the opportunity to provide local residents and tourists with the chance to indulge this fascination with aviators and their wings.

The Commemorative Air Force that preserves flying machines, particularly from the World War II era, has designated the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport as a finalist for its relocation from Midland, Texas.

The Commemorative Air Force needs to look no farther than Smyrna.

While it is pragmatic to note that Smyrna is strategically located to welcome visitors from around the region and nation to view the holdings of the CAF, the spirit of its interest in the hardware of aviation and preservation efforts permeates this region.

Middle Tennessee State University has one of the leading aerospace programs in the United States. Its graduates fill cockpits and every other job necessary for a successful aviation operation.

From Murfreesboro to Tullahoma to Huntsville, Ala., work is underway not only to provide the best aviation systems for current fleets of aircraft but also for future fleets of aircraft.

MTSU has a contract to work on development of drone aircraft. Arnold Engineering Development Center near Tullahoma is the testing site for every component of aviation and space systems. Huntsville is a center for research and development, federal and private, for aerospace systems.

And as Mike Woods, chairman of the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority, noted last week, what would be more fitting than locating CAF's vintage aircraft at a vintage Air Force base or, at least, its previous location.

Sewart Air Force Base helped open Rutherford County to the world, and the success of Smyrna and Rutherford County in keeping aviation operations available and profitable at the site also should provide an inducement to CAF to locate here.

Those with ties to the region have enjoyed both the dream and reality of flying - from aviation pioneer Cornelia Fort to architect Burney Tucker of the renowned Black Sheep Squadron to astronaut Rhea Seddon.

CAF would provide an opportunity to honor the courage of those who fly and to inspire others to fulfill their dreams.

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OUR VIEW: Smyrna would be right choice for CAF

Flying. For a lot of people it is one way to get quickly from one point to another. For some others, it provides a means of employment. And for others, it is a transcendental longing, avocation or